USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Paul A Coffin

Roger M Crane

Vincent J Castelli

Yu-Tai Lee

Deborah A Houghton

The present invention's nozzle is especially suitable for use in a shipboard air-discharge maneuverability device known as a 'bow thruster.' As typically embodied, the inventive nozzle includes a nozzle wall and an arc-shaped vane. The nozzle wall has a circular nozzle inlet and an elliptical nozzle outlet, and is configured so that the geometric major axis of the nozzle outlet is horizontal. The arc-shaped vane: is upwardly bowed in the nozzle wall's transverse direction; joins the nozzle wall along its two horizontally opposite sides in the nozzle wall's longitudinal direction; extends most or all of the longitudinal distance between the nozzle inlet and the nozzle outlet; has a transversely intermediate section that, taken in the transverse direction, is generally uniform in thickness; has two transversely lateral sections that, taken in the transverse direction, gradually thicken toward the two respective joints of the arc-shaped vane with respect to the nozzle wall.

Twin-nozzle bow thruster for hovercraft

A layered arrangement is fabricated by deposit on a mold surface to form a porous foam core of coated microballoons which is assembled within a sandwich between layers of fibrous skin. The sandwich supported on the mold surface is then is sealed within a film enclosure through which a one-shot infusion of liquid resin is performed. After curing and hardening of the infused resin, the film enclosure is removed from the sandwich to expose a multilayered structure.

Method of manufacturing rein infused core structure

A structural enclosure, box-like for many embodiments, which effectively tains an explosion, thereupon remaining virtually intact and minimizing fragmentation. The structural wall has a sandwich-like arrangement of two fiber-reinforced matrix material skins and a foam core situated between the two skins, at least one skin having fiber-reinforced high strain-to-failure viscoelastic matrix material. The core foam material selectively varies in density so as to provide appropriate rigidity or flexibility at different locations of the structural enclosure. The fiber-reinforced high strain-to-failure viscoelastic matrix material can be deformed elastically to large strains, has demonstrably high energy-absorbing characteristics, and is relatively lightweight. Upon explosive impact, the inner skin largely deforms so as to be energy-absorbent of the pressure wave caused by the explosive charge, the foam core crushes so as to also be energy-absorbent, the outer skin largely deforms, and both skins contain debris.

High-energy-absorbing enclosure for internal explosion containment

A structural enclosure, box-like for many embodiments, which effectively contains an explosion, thereupon remaining virtually intact and minimizing fragmentation. The structural wall has a sandwich-like arrangement of two fiber-reinforced matrix material skins and a foam core situated between the two skins, at least one skin having fiber-reinforced high strain-to-failure viscoelastic matrix material. The core foam material selectively varies in density so as to provide appropriate rigidity or flexibility at different locations of the structural enclosure. The fiber-reinforced high strain-to-failure viscoelastic matrix material can be deformed elastically to large strains, has demonstrably high energy-absorbing characteristics, and is relatively lightweight. Upon explosive impact, the inner skin largely deforms so as to be energy-absorbent of the pressure wave caused by the explosive charge, the foam core crushes so as to also be energy-absorbent, the outer skin largely deforms, and both skins contain debris.

A load bearing structural support for machinery which provides a mechanism or dissipating both mechanical and vibrational energy comprises a high damping flexible reinforcement of fiber preform infiltrated with a viscoelastic material which has a high elongation to failure property and provides a significant damping ability. In one embodiment, an I-Beam is formed by a pair of L-shapes and a T-shape. The two L-shapes are placed back to back, with the T-shape placed therebetween forming an I-beam. At least one flexible reinforcement is then positioned between the vertical segments of the T-shape and the two L-shapes to isolate the T-shape. The T-shape is actually 'floating' between the L-shapes. In another embodiment, the flexible reinforcement is suspended between at least a pair of spaced anchors with a vertical support of the same flexible reinforcement attached to or integral with the suspended flexible reinforcement portion and its free end anchored to a stable base.

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Rosehaven, MD, United States of America

Paul A Coffin